Methods and Apparatus for Increasing the Effectiveness of Wheelchair Training

ABSTRACT

A device for supporting a wheelchair includes a frame and a support system. The first end of the frame is attached to an axle of the wheelchair. The second end of the frame is attached to a wheel for allowing translation of the device over a surface. The support system is coupled to the frame and may be positioned to catch a back of the wheelchair upon reclining of the wheelchair during a wheelie. The position of the support system with respect to the frame is adjustable in order to catch the wheelchair at varying angles of reclining. As the user of a wheelchair develops skill in performing a wheelie, the position of the support system may be moved further away from the wheelchair.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 62/684,083, filed Jun. 12, 2018, entitled “Methods and Apparatus forIncreasing the Effectiveness of Wheelchair Training.” The entirety ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/684,083 is incorporatedherein by reference.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

None.

NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

None.

BACKGROUND

Approximately 2 million people in the United States use a wheelchair.Each year, many people suffer injuries causing paraplegia and arerequired to use a wheelchair for mobility. There are approximately130,000 people who suffer from such injuries in the United States. Newwheelchair users must learn critical skills such as wheelies whichenable users to have the mobility needed for everyday life. A wheelie iswhen the wheelchair user tips up the front wheels of the wheelchair andbalances on the two larger wheels in the back and is used to havegreater wheelchair control in different terrains as well as getting oversmall increases in elevation such as curbs. The challenge lies intraining for this skill. Wheelchair users initially do not have fullcommand or control in the wheelchair. Since learning wheelies requireslearning the balance point and how to control while in that balancepoint, the wheelchair often tip backwards before the skill is mastered.

Current wheelchair training takes place with a physical therapistpresent to help catch the user. During wheelie training, novice usersface the risk of falling backwards in the wheelchair. If the wheelchairfalls all the way backwards and impacts the ground, the risk for injuryto the head or back is increased. When physical therapists are workingwith wheelchair users, the current method of protecting against falls isfor the physical therapist to stand behind the wheelchair user whilethey perform wheelies and catch them as they fall past their tippingpoint. The physical therapist may hold a strap that is attached to theaxle of the wheelchair so that when the wheelchair tips, they put forceon the strap to the back of the chair and catch the weight of thefalling wheelchair user. With the current strap system, there must beone-on-one attention from the physical therapists and the patients.Further, the weight of the falling wheelchair is often more than 150lbs. that the physical therapist must catch. This can lead to a risk ofinjury for the physical therapists since they must catch all of thewheelchair and the users' weight and momentum.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A device for supporting a wheelchair including a frame and a supportsystem. The frame comprises two rails extending from a first end of theframe to a second end of the frame. The first end of the frame isconfigured to be attached to an axle of the wheelchair. The second endof the frame is configured to be attached to a wheel for allowingtranslation of the device over a surface. The frame is configured to bepositioned behind a back of the wheelchair. The support system iscoupled to the frame, the support system being positioned at an anglewith respect to the frame to catch the back of the wheelchair uponreclining of the wheelchair. The position of the support system withrespect to the frame is adjustable in order to catch the wheelchair atvarying angles of reclining.

A method for training a wheelchair user to perform wheelies comprisesthe following steps:

-   -   a. Providing a device having a frame with two notched rails and        a support system coupled to the frame and capable of being        positioned at various angles with respect the frame for        supporting the weight of the wheelchair and the wheel chair        user;    -   b. Positioning the device behind a back of the wheelchair and        attaching the first end of the frame to an axle of the        wheelchair;    -   c. Positioning the support system to a desired angle; and d.        Instructing the user to perform wheelies.        When the user performs a wheelie and loses balance, the support        system catches the back of a wheelchair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

While the appended claims set forth the features of the device of thepresent application with particularity, the various embodiments of thedevice may be best understood from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the device of the present application,device 100, attached to a mock wheelchair.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a rail component used for another embodiment of thepresent application, device 200.

FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of the rail shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 depicts a fully assembled further embodiment of the device of thepresent application, device 200.

FIG. 6 depicts the device of FIG. 5 with only the rail componentsattached to a wheelchair.

FIG. 7 depicts a top, front view of the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 depicts a top, rear view of the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 depicts a close-up of the connection between the rails and thesupportive frame for the bed of a further embodiment, device 300.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross section of the bumper of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 depicts a rear view of a further embodiment, device 300.

FIG. 12 depicts a side view of the device of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 depicts another side view of the device of FIG. 11 from a rearperspective.

FIG. 14 depicts a side view of the device of FIG. 11 while in use.

FIG. 15 depicts a perspective view of another embodiment of the presentapplication, device 400, shown coupled to an axle of a wheelchair.

FIG. 16(a) is a top view of the device of FIG. 15.

FIG. 16(b) is a rear view of the device of FIG. 15.

FIG. 16(c) is a side view of the device of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a close up view of one end of a rail of the device of FIG.15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Through the use of this tool for wheelchair training, the physicalstrain on the physical therapist will be reduced, a single physicaltherapist will be able to train multiple wheelchair users at the sametime, and the risk of injury to wheelchair users during training will belowered.

The disclosed exemplary devices (100/200/300/400) use hooks(170/270/370/470) to attach to a wheelchair's axle (115/215/315/415) andprop up a small bed (140/240/340/440) that catches the back of thewheelchair (110/210/310/410) to prevent it from tipping backward beyondthe center of gravity of the wheelchair (110/210/310/410) and user.Opposite the hooks (170/270/370/470) the device (100/200/300/400) isattached to a 360-degree wheel (160/260/360/460) that allows foruninhibited mobility. The hooks and the wheel attach to opposite ends oftwo toothed rails (120/220/320/420). The rails allow therapists andusers to easily adjust the angle of the T-bar (135/235/335/435), whichin turn adjusts the angle of the bed (140/240/340/440) on which thewheelchair (110/210/310/410) is caught.

The weight of the device (100/200/300/400) may be supported entirely bythe wheel (160/260/360/460) and the stationary axle (115/215/315/415) sothat it does not interfere with the user's balance. The hooks(170/270/370) (or a curved surface 470) mounted on the axle(115/215/315/415) allow for very quick attachment and removal of thedevice (100/200/300/400) which maximizes the time that may be spent onactual training and makes the device (100/200/300) user-friendly. Thehooks (170/270/370/470) and adjustable bed (140/240/340/440) allow thedevice (100/200/300/400) to be compatible with any rigid wheelchair. Thewheel (160/260/360/460) enables 360 degrees of mobility. The ease ofattachment of this device (100/200/300/400) allows for training in bothgroup settings and in a comfortable environment with friends and family.The exemplary device (100/200/300/400) may be installed and configuredwithout the use of tools.

As depicted in FIG. 1, device (100) can attach to a mock wheelchair(110) by its axle (115). The rails (120) are shown with the teeth (125)protruding upwardly. The support system (130) is comprised of themovable T bar (135) and the support bar (137) which is attached to thebed (140). The bed (140) can be lifted up to move the positioning of themovable T-bar (135) into the different notches (124) between the teeth(125). This allows the wheelchair (110) to lean back to different anglesbefore making contact with the bed (140) to catch the wheelchair (110)and the user. The wheel (160) is directly behind the wheelchair (110) inorder to allow for the user to attempt dynamic wheelies while intraining.

FIG. 2 depicts the device (100) disconnected from a wheelchair (110) andwithout the support system (130) and bed (140) attached. The two rails(120) are attached using the wheel (160) that permits the user toattempt dynamic wheelies. At the other end of the rails (120) are hooks(170) that are used to connect the device (100) to the wheelchair (110)when in use. Also attached to the rails (120) are the teeth (125) whichcreate notches (124) for the movable T-bar (135) to sit within in orderto stabilize the placement of the bed (140) at a certain angle.

FIG. 3 depicts the rail (220), the rail design used in both device 200and 300. In this embodiment of the rail (220) the pointed end (221) iscut in order for the bottom of the rail (223) to be removed from thefloor by 15 degrees when the square end of the rails (222) is connectedto the wheelchair axle (215) by a hook (270). FIG. 4 depicts aperspective view of the rail (220) of FIG. 3. It shows the pointed (221)and square end (222) of the rail as well as the bottom of the rail (223)and the teeth (225) and notches (224) on the finished rails (220).

FIG. 5 depicts a device (200) with all parts attached. The hooks (270)are hooked around a wheelchair axle (215) while the hooks are attachedto the square end (222) of the rails (220). The two pointed ends (221)of the rails (220) are connected by a connecting block (265) that isconnected to the wheel (260). On either side of the rails (220) is ahinge (245) that connects the arms (241) of the bed (240) to the plate(242) of the bed (240). The bed (240) is then connected to the movablesupport (230) through the use of a rail end hinge (238) which isattached to the support bar (237) that leads into the T connector (236)which engages the movable T-bar (235). The movable T-bar (235) may bemoved into the notches (224) between the teeth (225) of the rails (220)in order to adjust the angle between the bed (240) and the wheelchair(210). The notch (224) in which the movable T-bar (235) may be insertedcan be changed by lifting the bed (240) which in turn lifts the entiresupport (230) and the movable T-bar (235) can then be placed between theappropriate teeth (225). By moving the movable T-bar (235) into adifferent notch (224), the height of the wheelie the user can accomplishis changed, therefore allowing the user to master the skill of findingtheir point of gravity. This controls how far back the user can tip thewheelchair (210) before the wheelchair (210) will come into contact withthe bed (240). As the user develops the skill, the movable T-bar (235)can be moved progressively toward the notch (224) furthest away from thewheelchair (210) allowing the user to balance on their own without anyintervention until their center of gravity is no longer under them.

FIG. 6 depicts the device (200) attached to a wheelchair (210) withoutthe support (230) or bed (240). The angled ends (221) of the rails (220)are attached to the connecting block (265) and the connecting block isthen attached to the wheel (260) to allow the user to perform a dynamicwheelie where the user can move in a circle while still in the wheelie.The device (200) is then attached to the wheelchair axle (215) throughhooks (270) that are attached to the square end (222) of the rails(220). The notches (224) and teeth (225) allow the adjustment of thesupport (230) and concurrently the bed (240) which allows the user morefreedom to find their center of balance when performing a wheelie beforefalling backward.

FIG. 7 depicts a top, front view of the device (200). The hooks (270)are used to connect the device (200) to the wheelchair (210). The hooks(270) are attached to the rails (220) on the square end (222) of therails (220). Further down the rails is the hinge (245) that connects therails (220) to the bed (240). Between the hinge (245) and the rails(220) are hinge wedges (246) that ensure the arms (241) of the bed (240)are parallel rather than angled like the rails (220). The arms (241) areattached to the hinges (245) and coupled together with the plate (242).A crossbar on the back of the wheelchair (210) collides with the arms(241) when the user of the wheelchair (210) loses their balance in thewheelie position and tips backwards. The arms (241) provide multiplepoints of contact with both curved and straight crossbars. Attached tothe bed (240) is the support (230) which is connected to the plate (242)through a rail end hinge (238) (shown in FIG. 8). The support 230includes the movable support bar (237) that is connected to aT-connection (236) that is attached to the movable T-bar (235). Thesupport (230) is adjusted by raising the bed (240) and moving themovable T-bar (235) to fit in between certain notches (224) between theteeth (225) on the rail (220). The further distance the T-bar (235) isfrom the wheelchair (210) the larger the angle between the wheelchair(210) and the bed (240). At the angled end (221) of the rails (220) isthe connecting block (265) that connects the two rails (220) as well asthe wheel (260) that allows the device (200) to move with the wheelchair(210) when attempting static and dynamic wheelies.

FIG. 8 depicts a top, rear view of the device (200). The wheel (260) ofthe device (200) that enables the device (200) to move with thewheelchair (210) is attached to the device (200) using a connectingblock (265) that connects the wheel (260) and the two rails (220) attheir angled ends (221). The rails (220) have five (5) notches (224) cutout to form teeth (225) on the rails that the movable T-bar (235) restsin between. (The number of notches may vary in other embodiments). Themovable T-bar (235) is attached to the support (230) by a T-connector(236) that connects the T-bar (235) to the support bar (237). Thesupport bar (237) is then connected to the plate (242) of the bed (240)with a rail end hinge (238). The support (230) is able to be moved inorder to allow the user the ability to tip back further into a wheeliewhile training without being inhibited by the bed (240). If the userfalls further back and cannot right the wheelchair (210) before tippingbackward, the bed (240) catches the user and wheelchair (210). Thefarther the notch (224) the movable T-bar (235) is placed into from theback of the wheelchair, the farther the bed (240) is from the back ofthe wheelchair allowing the user more freedom to test their balancingskills. The bed (240) is made up of the plate (242) that is attached tothe support bar (237) with the rail end hinge (238). The plate couplesthe two arms (241) of the bed (240) that are parallel to one another.The arms (241) are attached to the rails (220) by way of a hinge (245)that is attached to a hinge wedge (246), which is then screwed onto therails (220). The hinge wedge (246) ensures that arms (241) of the bed(240) remain parallel rather than being at the same angle as the rails(220). At the square end (222) of the rails (220), the hooks (270) areattached to the device (200). The hooks (270) are coupled or hooked ontothe wheelchair axle (215), which allows the device (200) to sit at theappropriate angle to ensure safe use. In this embodiment, the angle isfifteen (15) degrees.

FIG. 11 depicts a rear view of the device (300). The wheel (360) isattached to the connecting block (365) which also connects both rails(320) at their angled ends (321). The wheel (360) allows the device(300) to move with the wheelchair (310) while the user is attemptingwheelies. The rails (320) have notches (324) cut out of them to createteeth (325) in between which the movable traverse support T-bar (335)rests to change the angle between the bed (340) and the rails (320). Themovable T-bar (335) is connected with the vertical or upright supportbar (337) by a T connector (336). The support (330) is connected to thebed (340) through the use of a rail end hinge (338) connected to theplate (342) of the bed (340). The bed (340) consists of two arms (341)parallel to one another with bumpers (350) attached to them to dampenthe impact of the wheelchair (310) and user contacting the device (300)when the user tips too far backward while training. The arms (341) areparallel to one another through the use of a hinge (345) and hinge wedge(346) attached to the rails (320). When the wheelchair (310) tipsbackward too far, the back bar (312) of the wheelchair (310) makesimpact with the bumpers (350), which stop the wheelchair (310) and userfrom falling all the way backward to the ground.

FIGS. 12 and 13 depict side views of the device (300). The device (300)is attached to the wheelchair (310) using hooks (370) that are attachedto the axle (315) of the wheelchair (310). The hooks (370) are attachedto the rails (320) on their square end (322). Adjacent to and behind theattachment of the hooks (370) on the rails (320) is the hinge (345) thatconnects the bed (340) and support (330) to the rails (320). Inoperation, the hooks (370) allow the axle (315) to rotate freely whilethe hooks (370) remain stationary relative to the wheelchair. In otherwords, the axle (315) rotates relative to the ground with the wheelchair(310) as the wheelchair (310) tips back, while the hooks (370) do notrotate relative to the ground. The hinges (345) are attached to therails (320) by way of a hinge wedge (346) that allows the arms (341) ofthe bed (340) to remain parallel to one another. The arms (341) of thebed (340) have a bumper (350) attached to each arm (341). The bumpers(350) ensure that if the wheelchair (310) tips back too far and thewheelchair (310) needs to be caught by the bed (340), the bumpers (350)make first contact with the crossbar (312) of the wheelchair (310)ensuring that the impact is lessened. The arms (341) with the bumpers(350) attached are connected through the use of a plate (342). The plate(342) has a rail end hinge (338) attached that connects the support bar(337) of the movable support (330) to the bed (340). At the end of thesupport bar (337) is the T-connector (336) that engages the movableT-bar (335). The movable T-bar (335) may be placed in any of the notches(324) between the teeth (325) on the rail (320) to change the anglebetween the bed (340) and the wheelchair (310). The change in the angleallows the user to perform higher wheelies when training without thecrossbar (312) of the wheelchair (310) making contact with the bumpers(350). This encourages the user to practice finding their center ofgravity and balancing while still having the bed (340) and bumpers (350)as a safety net.

A majority of the metal components of this device (100/200/300/400) maybe made out of 6061 grade aluminum in order to hold both the weight ofthe patient and the wheelchair. In an embodiment, the maximum weight maybe about 250 pounds. Any other suitable material may be used that issufficient to support the weight of the patient and the wheelchair.

The rails (320) of this device (300) are made of ¼ inch aluminum plates(any suitable material may be used) which have multiple notches (324)cut out of the rails (320) to accommodate the movable T-Bar (335). Theserails (320) with the integration of the notches (324) allow users toadjust the bed (340) to a desired angle from the horizontal by manuallyshifting the movable T-bar (335) which supports the bed (340) with thebumpers (350). The toothed rails (320) must be able to perform twocritical functions: load bearing and allowing for complete packaging ofall components. In order to avoid the rail (320) shearing under theloads experienced while supporting a wheelchair (310) that has beentipped over, the height of the teeth (325) should be approximately onethird (⅓) of the total height of the rail (320).

FIG. 9 depicts a close-up view of the connection between the rails (320)and the arms (341) of the bed (340). Each rail (320) has a hinge wedge(346) that allows the hinges (345) on either rail (320) to remainparallel to one another, rather than placing them at an angle comparableto the angle between the two rails (320). Attached to each hinge wedge(346) is the hinge (345) that connects the arms (341) of the bed (340).

The bed (340) element of the device (300) may provide a dampening actionto help ensure the safety of users. The bumpers (350) on the bed (340)create a dampening effect by absorbing the energy of the impact from theuser and the wheelchair (310). As the back of the wheelchair (310) sinksinto the bumpers (350) of the bed (340), the force is distributedthroughout a greater surface area. This feature alleviates a portion ofthe force that may lead to injury.

The bed (340) which comes into frequent contact with the wheelchair(310) throughout the course of training may be made of sufficientlydurable material in order to support the weight and repeated impact. Inthe device (300), the bed consists of two parallel rectangular arms(341). Each arm (341) protrudes upward from a hinge (345) fixed toeither rail (320) and then connected to either side of a horizontalplate (342). This forms the frame of the bed (340) where two bumpers(350) are attached to prevent the bed (340) and/or wheelchair (310) frombeing damaged with repeated contact. Each bumper may comprise a plasticor other suitable material rod (351) created by cutting a one (1) inchdiameter by nine (9) inch long solid plastic rod in half to create two(2) rods with semi-circular cross sections. Curved open cell foam (352)may then be attached to the plastic rods (351) and woven fabric (or anyother suitable material) (353) may be used to cover the foam (352). Thebed (340) may then be attached to the arms (341) with washers andscrews.

FIG. 10 depicts a cross section of the bumper (350) of the device (300).The bumper (350) is comprised of a semicircular cut plastic rod (351)covered with an impact absorber (352) and further covered in a wovenfabric, or other suitable material, covering (353). When the back of thewheelchair (310) makes contact with the bumper (350), the open cell foam(352) absorbs the force of the impact into the plastic rod (351),through the rest of the bed (340), into the support (330), through therails (320), and out through the wheel (360) to the floor. This protectsthe user from hitting the bed (340) with such an impact to cause furtherinjury to themselves. The covering (353) allows for the bumpers (350) torequire little maintenance over prolonged use.

At the square end of each rail (322), a coated nonmarring hook (370) maybe connected in order to connect to the wheelchair (310) of the user byhooking around the axle of the wheelchair (315). The weight of thedevice (300) and the fixed angle between the rails (320) can hold thehooks (370) in place. These hooks (370) may be made of the appropriatematerial and the appropriate size to fit the wheelchair (310) beingused. A clamping system could also be used in order to betteraccommodate other types of wheelchairs.

FIG. 14 depicts the device (300) in use. The device (300) is attached tothe axle (315) of the wheelchair (310) by way of hooks (370). Each hook(370) is attached to the square end (322) of each rail (320). The rails(320) are brought together through the use of a connecting block (365)that also attaches the wheel (360). Through the use of the wheel (360)and hooks (370) the device (300) can move with the wheelchair (310)throughout the user's training. The wheel (360) allows the device (300)full range of motion in order to allow the user to move the wheelchair(310) while training regular wheelies as well as when training dynamicwheelies. When training to perform the wheelies, the user tips back inthe wheelchair (310) and attempts to find a center of balance with thetwo front wheels off the ground. During the training period, the balanceis often lost and the user falls backwards. With the use of the device(300), the wheelchair (310) falls backward into the bumpers (350) of thebed (340) of the device (300). The bumpers (350) absorb the force of theimpact and disperse it throughout the device (300) and into the floorminimizing the impact and lessening the possibility of harm to the userduring training. The bumpers (350) are attached to the arms (341) of thebed (350) and are connected by a plate (342). The arms (341) areattached to the rails (320) of the device (300) through the use ofhinges (345) and hinge wedges (346). The hinge wedges (346) allow thearms (341) to remain parallel to one another. The bed (340) can beadjusted in height through the use of the movable support (330). Themovable support (330) is attached to the bed (340) through a rail endhinge (338) attached to the plate (342) of the bed (340). Attached tothe rail end hinge (338) is the support bar (337) which engages theT-connector (336) and finally the movable T-bar (335). The angle of thebed (340) is adjusted by moving the movable support (330). This is doneby lifting the bed (340) and moving the movable T-bar (335) into thedifferent notches (324) between the teeth (325) on the rails (320). Thisallows the angle to increase or decrease between the bed (340) and thewheelchair (310). The user can test his/her balance at a greater anglewithout the fear of falling to the ground or the need for the trainer tocatch the wheelchair (310) when it falls. In FIG. 14, the user has beenable to balance and therefore is not in need of the bumpers (350) andbed (340) to catch their fall. The device (300) is a safety net whentraining to make the user feel safer.

For suitable training, the user may need to be able to tip the frontwheels at least 6″ to 8″ from the ground to the bottom of the frontwheels of the wheelchair (310). This allows the user to learn tonavigate over large curbs. The user also preferably should be able torotate 360 degrees in order to train for dynamic wheelies.

In other implementations of this device (300), the bed (340) may be madecompatible with wheelchairs (310) that do not have a crossbar (312)where the bed (340) normally catches the wheelchair (310). Modificationscan be made to device (300) to allow it to be used with a wheelchair(310) without a central wheel axle (315), for example, by having thedevice (300) attach without using the hook (370) or clamp systems.

This device (300) is intended to be used by patients that are mobilethrough the use of a wheelchair (310) during their wheelchair (310)training with the help of a physical therapist in the beginning andpossible with the help of someone other than the physical therapistafter the user becomes more comfortable with the process. The device(300) may be used specifically to teach wheelchair (310) users to learnand control their center of gravity when performing a wheelie in awheelchair to make sure they do not tip too far backwards whenattempting to get over obstacles in the real world, like curbs.

The device (300) is connected to the wheelchair (310) by hooks (370)attached to the wheel axle (315) of the wheelchair (310) but in otherembodiments of the device (300), other methods of attachment may beused. The device (300) is positioned in a way that the vertex of therails (320) and consequently the wheel (360) is directly behind thecenter of the wheelchair (310).

The device (300) may be used by attaching the device (300) to thewheelchair (310) as described above. The therapist or other appropriateperson adjust the supporting rod (330) and movable T-Bar (335) to theappropriate notch (324) of the rail (320) to control how far the usercan tip back in the wheelchair (310) before they will be caught by thebed (340). The supporting rod (337) and movable T-bar (335) may beadjusted by lifting the bed (340) and lowering the lower bar (335) intothe appropriate notch (324) of the rail (320). The user then attempts topull the forward wheels of the wheelchair (310) up off the floor andbalance at a certain angle on the rear wheels of the wheelchair (310).The user attempts to balance at a certain height of the forward wheelsof the wheelchair (310). If the user loses control of the wheelie andthe wheelchair (310) tips backward rather than falling forward (meaningtheir center of gravity moved behind them instead of in front of them)the user would fall backward into the bumpers (350) of the bed (340).These bumpers (350) of the bed (340) provide a solid but soft landing totheir fall to as the bumper (350) absorbs the force of the user and thewheelchair (310) which is then dissipated through the plate (342) behindthe bumpers (350) which is further dissipated through the arms (341) andthen through the rails (320) and into the wheel (360) and finallythrough the floor. This reduces the risk of injury to the user and thephysical therapist that would otherwise need to catch the user and thewheelchair. As the user progresses in their training, the therapist canadjust the supporting rod (337) and movable T-bar (335) to move the bed(340) further from the back of the wheelchair (310). As the user movesto get into the wheelie position as well as to turn while in the wheelieposition, the wheel (360) at the vertex (365) of the rails (320) allowsthe device (300) to move with the wheelchair (310) to ensure that itdoes not impede the training of the user.

FIG. 15-17 depict a further embodiment of the present application,device 400, to be used with wheelchair 410. Although these figuresdepict only the wheels and main axle 415 of the wheelchair 410, itshould be understood the wheelchair 410 would have all the features of atypical wheelchair, such as wheelchair 310. Device 400 structurally issimilar to device 300 and operates in the same manner as device 300 incatching the back of a wheelchair. Similar reference numerals denotesimilar features among the various embodiments. The main differencesbetween device 300 and device 400 will be discussed in detail below.

As can be seen in FIGS. 16(C) and 17, the one end of the rails 420 isprovided with a surface 470 for being operatively positioned on the axle415 of the wheelchair 410. The surface may comprise a separate curvedmember 470 in the shape of a hook and configured to be mounted on theend of the rail 420 by suitable fasteners. There is a tight tolerancebetween the hook 470 and the axle 415, thereby reducing the opportunityfor the two members to fall out of engagement. The inside surface of thehook 470 may be covered with a layer of silicone rubber material 472 toprevent the axle 415 from being damaged by the hook 470 of the rail 420.The hook 470 is further provided with a quick release T-handle pin 474,shown in FIG. 17, to ensure that the axle 415 does not fall out ofengagement with the hook 470 of the rail 420. Once the hook 470 isplaced over the axle 415, the pin 474 is moved to its closed position,thereby trapping the axle 415 in engagement with the hook 470.

As can be appreciated from FIG. 16(A), the ends of rails 420 of thedevice 400 do not meet together at wheel 460 to make the tip of a wedgeshape, as in the other embodiments. Rather, the device 400 is providedwith a U-shaped channel 465. Referring to FIG. 16(B), the wheel 460 ismounted to a bottom surface of the U-shaped channel 465 and the rails420 are mounted to the sides of the channel 465 by suitable fasteners.Thus, the rails 420 remain in a parallel, spaced apart relationship.Because the rails 420 are not angled with respect to each other, they donot require custom manufacture and the arms 441 do not require the useof block 346 and hinge 345, as does the device 300. Instead, a rotaryshaft 476 extends transversely across the rails 420 and is operativelycoupled to the arms 441. Specifically, as seen in FIG. 17, each end ofthe rotary shaft 476 is fitted through a sleeve bearing 478 mounted onthe respective rail and then inserted through an opening in therespective arm 441. A clamping collar shaft 480 is provided on each endof the shaft 476 extending past the arm 441 in order to keep theelements operatively coupled. Due to this arrangement, the arms 441 canrotate with respect the rails 420 and thus the angle of the bed 440 withrespect to the rails 420 can be adjusted.

As can be seen from FIGS. 15 and 16(B), the bed 440 includes a plate 442extending across the arms 441. Instead of bumpers used with the otherembodiments of the device, the bed 440 is provided with a layer of EVAfoam 482 across the entire plate 442 for cushioning the impact resultingfrom the wheelchair 410 making contact with the bed 440. The foam 482may be tear-resistant and shock absorbent.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described hereinshould be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes oflimitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each embodimentshould typically be considered as available for other similar featuresor aspects in other embodiments. It will be understood by those ofordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details maybe made therein without departing from their spirit and scope as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for supporting a wheelchair, comprising:a. a frame comprising two rails extending from a first end of the frameto a second end of the frame, the first end of the frame configured tobe attached to an axle of the wheelchair, the second end of the frameconfigured to be attached to a wheel for allowing translation of thedevice over a surface, the frame configured to be positioned behind aback of the wheelchair; and b. a support system coupled to the frame,the support system positioned at an angle with respect to the frame tocatch the back of the wheelchair upon reclining of the wheelchair, theposition of the support system with respect to the frame beingadjustable in order to catch the wheelchair at varying angles ofreclining.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein each rail has a number ofnotches provided along an upper surface, the notches forming teeth forinteracting with the support system to allow the position of the supportsystem with respect to the frame to be adjusted.
 3. The device of claim1 wherein each rail has a first end, the first end of each rail isprovided with a curved member for attaching to a rear axle of thewheelchair.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein the rails of the frame areconfigured in a wedge shape having a wider end and a tip.
 5. The deviceof claim 4 wherein each rail has a second end, the second ends of therails coming together to form the tip of the wedge shape.
 6. The deviceof claim 5 wherein a connector wedge is provided where the second endsof the rails come together, the wheel operatively coupled to theconnector wedge.
 7. The device of claim 3 wherein each rail has a secondend, the second ends of the rails coupled to a U-shaped channel member,the wheel operatively coupled to the channel member.
 8. The device ofclaim 2 wherein the support system comprises a bed for catching andsupporting the wheelchair back upon reclining of the wheelchair, avertical support bar coupled to the bed, and a traverse support barcoupled to the vertical bar, the bars configured for positioning the bedof the support system at different angles with respect to the frame toaccommodate different angles of reclining of the wheelchair.
 9. Thedevice of claim 8 wherein the traverse support bar is configured to beinserted into notches on the rails of the frame.
 10. The device of claim8 wherein a connector is positioned between the transverse support barand the vertical support bar for coupling the bars.
 11. The device ofclaim 8 wherein the support bars are configured in the shape of theletter T.
 12. The device of claim 8 wherein the support system furtherconsists of two arms parallel to one another and coupled by a plateextending transversely between the arms, the plate positioned adjacentthe bed.
 13. The device of claim 12 wherein the bed is further providedwith shock absorbent material for dampening the impact of the wheelchairagainst the bed when the wheelchair contacts the bed.
 14. The device ofclaim 12 wherein the arms are hingedly coupled to the rails at an anglewith respect to the rails.
 15. The device of claim 12 further comprisinga rotary shaft extending between the rails and operatively coupled tothe arms to enable the arms to be rotatably coupled to the rails toallow the angle of the support system to be adjusted.
 16. The device ofclaim 8 wherein the bed is pivotably attached to the vertical supportbar.
 17. The device of claim 12 wherein the transverse support bar beingconfigured to mate with any of the notches along the rails, the positionof the transverse support bar on the rails determining the angle of thearms and the bed with respect to the frame.
 18. A method for training awheelchair user to perform wheelies with a wheelchair comprising: e.Providing a device having a frame with two notched rails and a supportsystem coupled to the frame and capable of being positioned at variousangles with respect the frame for supporting the weight of thewheelchair and the wheel chair user; f. Positioning the device behind aback of the wheelchair and attaching a first end of the frame to an axleof the wheelchair; g. Positioning the support system to a desired angle;and h. Instructing the user to perform wheelies, wherein when the userperforms a wheelie and loses balance, the support system catches theback of the wheelchair.
 19. The method of claim 18 further comprisingadjusting the angle of the support system with respect to the framedepending upon the experience level of the user in performing wheelies.20. The method of claim 19 wherein the attaching the device to the axleof the wheelchair and the adjusting of the angle of the support systemare performed without the use of tools.